GoodReads started testing sponsored books in different areas on the site—you might have seen the sponsored book at the top of the recommendations page recently. In the near future these will be available to all users and there is no way to turn them off. The only option you will have is to flag a book as "not interested" and a new title will take its place.Many longtime … [Read more...] about GoodReads Testing Sponsored Books
E-Book News
Wattpad and SoundCloud Bring Audio to Stories
Wattpatt and Soundcloud have partnered up  to allow authors the ability to include sounds, effects or narration in their stories. This new feature will first be implemented in their Android app with broader support rolling out soon.“Audio clips can bring stories to life. Wattpad writers can use sound effects to add impact to a story, narrate an excerpt, or share a playlist … [Read more...] about Wattpad and SoundCloud Bring Audio to Stories
UK Authors Earn £11,000 per Year
The vast majority of authors in the United Kingdom are not raking in a copious amount of money as originally thought. The average author is only making £11,000 per year more than £5,000 below the income level considered to be a socially acceptable standard of living.The Business of Being an Author: A Survey of Authors Earnings and Contracts was commissioned by the Authors’ … [Read more...] about UK Authors Earn £11,000 per Year
Is the Traditional Publishing Industry Finally Catching Up?
Only a handful of years ago, self-published authors fought for legitimacy and respect while readers, retailers, and the traditional publishing industry scoffed at the notion that anyone would buy a book that hadn't been passed through the infamous "gate." Even with the names of early multi-million selling authors being thrown around, names like Amanda Hocking and Bella Andre, … [Read more...] about Is the Traditional Publishing Industry Finally Catching Up?
Gillian Anderson to Pen New Title, WE
Fans of the old X-Files television show got a much-needed surprise when Fox announced it was bringing back the series. Not only that, instead of a reboot or some futuristic attempt at relaunching the series with younger, hipper actors, the original stars are back and by all accounts, the show will simply pick up where it left off.In the meantime, actress Gillian Anderson, … [Read more...] about Gillian Anderson to Pen New Title, WE
Libraries Opening to Self-Published Authors
There is no question that public libraries are in a difficult position. They're charged with providing valuable technology resources, learning opportunities, and of course, books to their communities while working within the most meager of budgets. As if those budgets weren't already spare enough, libraries are constantly under threat of further cuts, manpower and salary … [Read more...] about Libraries Opening to Self-Published Authors
Off the Page: Age-Appropriate eBooks for Readers with Obstacles
Having been a teacher of at-risk high school students, I'm going to go out on a limb and declare a recent innovation by two teachers from New Zealand to be the most game-changing application of publishing in 2015, if not in the entire age of digital publishing. What's so astounding about their project, Off the Page?Have you ever looked at an illiterate twenty-year-old with … [Read more...] about Off the Page: Age-Appropriate eBooks for Readers with Obstacles
The Crackdown on Fake Amazon Book Reviews Has Begun
In a move that can easily be categorized under "omg it's about freakin' time" (considering Amazon posted its first-ever book review twenty years ago), the largest bookstore in the world has finally taken the first steps in combating fake reviews by suing three pay-for-review sites that operate out of California. These sites make promises about the slow posting of the reviews so … [Read more...] about The Crackdown on Fake Amazon Book Reviews Has Begun
Trajectory’s New Publishing Agreements Bring eBooks to Chinese Smartphones
A new agreement announced ahead of this year's London Book Fair just made the world of international publishing a little bit smaller. eBook distributor and discoverability platform Trajectory has inked a deal with the third largest smartphone producer in the world, Xiaomi, to bring publisher content to the company's 150 million customers. This agreement will bring Macmillan, … [Read more...] about Trajectory’s New Publishing Agreements Bring eBooks to Chinese Smartphones
HarperCollins, Amazon Reach Agreement
In an announcement that is certain to bring a sigh of relief to authors and readers, HarperCollins announced yesterday that it has reached a multi-year agreement with Amazon over its recent pricing dispute. While HarperCollins, like several other publishers before it, has been gunning for an agency pricing model in which the publisher sets the price of its books and basically … [Read more...] about HarperCollins, Amazon Reach Agreement
Research – Where do you Buy your eBooks?
There are hundreds of digital bookstores all over the world and the purpose of our research is to determine the most popular. Over the course of the last two weeks 364 people cast their vote and today we would like to share our results.Amazon currently controls 75% of the e-book market in the US and 95% in the United Kingdom. These are staggering figures that really shows … [Read more...] about Research – Where do you Buy your eBooks?
What Rook Can Teach the Industry about Bookselling
There's a new app coming, and on the surface, it looks a whole lot like piracy meets FourSquare. Of course, the fact that a few smaller publishers have come on board and the nomination for a publishing industry innovation award lends a lot of credibility to the concept behind Rook, the free ebook reading app that lets users read any book they want for free, as long as they … [Read more...] about What Rook Can Teach the Industry about Bookselling
State of Alabama Declares Harper Lee Competent to Publish
When a state government is asked to step in and evaluate the mental capacity of an elderly citizen, it's usually over things like his ability to drive a car, or live on his own, or keep control over his finances. As our aging population lives longer and longer, their physical bodies are still running but their mental abilities get called into question, especially when a bizarre … [Read more...] about State of Alabama Declares Harper Lee Competent to Publish